Metro Vancouver and the Corporation of Delta are suing a farm and construction company for allegedly damaging Burns Bog.
Burns Bog is the largest raised peat bog on the west coast of North America and is a protected nature reserve.
Metro Vancouver and Delta allege that the damage happened when a load of soil was deposited on land belonging to Princess Farms Ltd., adjacent to the bog. Matcon Landfill Management and Matcon Civil Constructors, also named in the suit, supervised the soil deposit work.
The plaintiffs claim that the soil deposit had been approved by the Agricultural Land Commission, but allege that the defendants did not do the work in accordance with the commission’s instructions.
“Affected areas of Burns Bog include vegetation, trees, wildlife habitat and the peat bog itself, which suffered tearing, heaving and the vertical and lateral displacement of the peat bog near where fill was placed on native peat on the adjacent farm land,” states the Corporation of Delta.
“Run off from the fill may also affect the bog’s chemistry.”
Metro Vancouver and Delta claim that 17,000 square metres of the bog have been affected by the soil deposit.
None of the allegations has been proven in court.
The deadline to fie a statement of defence has not yet expired.
